Adam Burton

Adam Burton 

Another photographer that I have researched and taken inspiration from is Adam Burton, one of the UK’s leading landscape photographers. Adam has had 15 years experience in the field of landscape photography and photographs some of the most beautiful places in the UK, mainly the Southwest of England. Burton is self-taught; his style has developed with experience. The vibrant, bold landscapes have attracted the likes of National Geographic, Ford and The AA. Burton’s aim is to capture wonderful landscapes that encapsulate British seaside and countryside with an emphasis on in-camera technique rather than Photoshop manipulations.

This photograph attracted my attention; it is titled ‘Catbells & Derwent Water’ due to it displaying Derwent Water and Catbell Mountain. This photograph was taken in the Lake District in October 2012, as the photo was taken in October we can infer that it was autumn. This is evident from the orange colour that is apparent on Catbell Mountain; this vibrant orange indicates the leaves on the turn, ready to fall for winter. To me, the orange leaves appear to be cascading down the mountain, as if they are flowing lava slowly burning out into the background of the image. I think this image was taken at an aperture of F22 due to the wide depth of field. The foreground adds an interest to the image; it creates a sense of distance across the water, giving the viewer an idea of scale. The lake in the middle of the photo provides a lot of detail; it shows the reflection of the mountains orange covering drawing your eyes to the mountain even more.

This image is titled ‘Wooden Lighthouse’. This was taken in Burnham On Sea; Somerset in the winter of 2014. However it is unexpected to see a mostly blue sky in the winter in England so it isn’t very typical of the UK. I think the perspective of this image is very interesting; it has been taken from a low angle making the puddle in the foreground look stretched and the lighthouse look taller than it actually is. I like the simplicity of this photograph; the main subject being the lighthouse stands out perfectly as this is the focal point. The puddle that shows some reflection of the sky leads your eyes to this lighthouse, right from the foreground of this image to almost the background. Although there is limited information in this photo there is still texture and detail. The sand or silt that makes the ground has a slight raised pattern that is evident at the very front of the scene. The sky also hold detail, the scattering of clouds makes this blank space look interesting and more appealing to the eye. Again I believe this image was taken at an aperture of F22 and ISO 100 due to the wide depth of field and clear appearance.

This image was taken in the Lake District, England in 2012. It is of Loughrigg Tarn on a misty morning as we can tell due to the fog surrounding the mountain. The image was taken in October indicating it was Autumn, we can tell this by the array of colours displayed in the leaves and the trees, the red and orange tones show the leaves on the turn ready to fall bringing winter. What i particularly like about this image is the point it has been taken from, Burton has taken it from a high vantage point in order to look down at the scene. This means he has managed to display a clear distinction between foreground and background, the background being the mountain and the foreground being the lake. I think the lake is a crucial part of the image as it breaks up the green which otherwise might be quite overpowering. The detail of this image is amazing, the individual trees show up on camera in the foreground and even the mid ground. This makes me think that the image could have been taken with F22 as there is a wide depth of field.












This image is titled 'Reflections of Alnwick Castle', it was taken in Northumberland, England. This image is slightly different to the other pieces of Adam Burtons work as it appears to be panoramic, displaying a much wider range of the image than could be shown with a regular camera. I believe the foreground and background of this image almost look separate, the trees look dark whereas the castle in the background has a warm lighting to it. This contrast in lightings is really beautiful, it makes a really interesting image rather than the whole thing being lit in the same way. The main aspect of this image that I liked was the blurred lines across the foreground that appear to be the first signs of snow. The fact that they are blurred brings to your attention the speed at which they are swirling around due to the wind. This again makes the image very interesting, it includes a mixture of aspects that you don't see in many photographs and incorporates them into one, making an outstanding photo.

This image is titled 'Opium Field' and was taken in Oxfordshire. I think that although this image is simple it is also very beautiful due to the soft colours of it making it appear very romantic. It is a scene that seems unreal, like something you would seen in a fantasy or a love story, not something you would actually see in the countryside. The sky and the flowers are both pink hues, they reflect each other with the soft orange pink of the sky and the light pink of the flowers making the image saintly with no dark grey areas instead the darkest colour seen is the purple clouds. I think the matching of the sky and the flowers ties the photograph together making it appear very different to other images would with just a blue sky. The detail of the sun in the image is very effective, I think this image may have been taken in the golden hour as the sun is very golden and soft rather than the harsh white light during the day. This sun hasn't glared on the lens but instead dispersed beautifully, a way we don't usually see it. I would like to achieve some images that are tinted by the hue of the sky in the golden hour with interesting sunsets or sunrises, this would enhance my work. 

Influence 

Below is one of Adam Burtons piece of work compared to one of mine, showing his influence on my photographs. 

Displayed above is one of my photographs from 'Shoot 6' compared to a photograph of Adam Burtons, the person who inspired the style in this shoot. As you call tell the image doesn't quite match colour wise however it does relate perspective wise. I noticed when researching the work of Adam Burton that a lot of his images use powerful leading lies to make a bold statement within an otherwise simple image. This is what I tried to do above, I used the same perspective as Burton did, using the wooden structure as a way to draw your eyes into the photo. I enjoy using leading lines within my work as I think its a powerful tool to transform an image and direct the viewers eyes where you want them to go. Another way I was inspired by Adam Burton (not necessarily in this image) was through his use of colour. Burton's work has a calming feel to it, a soft but beautiful colour that runs as a theme throughout an image, more than you would expect it typically. I liked the feeling this gave the photographs therefore payed more attention to colour in my work from this point on.

Summary 
Overall I find the work of Adam Burton very aesthetically pleasing, from the striking colours that he uses to the amazing perspectives that are displayed in his work. As mentioned in the 'influence' section of this post, I feel that Adam Burton's work has inspired me to use striking leading ones as a way to draw attention to something I want to stand out in my image. I also think  that the use of soft but striking colours is a good way o set an image apart from the rest, making it original.